By Tim McFail (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #1) on Saturday, January 1, 2005 - 10:06 pm: |
I have the MIA-CUR flight coming in at 2:52 can I expect to make the 16:00 BE flight out? 1:08 should be enough but I don't know about customs and collecting the bags...
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By Jake Richter (Moderator - Post #5309) on Sunday, January 2, 2005 - 12:16 am: |
It would be a very tight connection. We came in on that AA flight on Thursday, and had to deal with a 45 minute wait going through security in Curacao a couple of days ago. Plus, our AA flight was about 10 minutes late and it took about 20 minutes to get our luggage so we could check it in for our Cur-Bon flight (and no, you cannot check your luggage through - you have to pick it up and re-check it).
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By Andrew Voss (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #7) on Sunday, January 2, 2005 - 11:09 am: |
I would think that having Bonairexel paper tickets in hand when you arrive in Curacao would also help. See the "Bonaire Exel Paper Tickets" thread on this board. I was able to get an agent at a Carlson Wagonlit travel agency to print the tickets for me; I'm told that Delta (and only Delta) ticketing agents can also print them. This will save the hassle of actually purchasing the Bonairexel tickets in Curacao. At least I'm hoping it speeds us along at the airport in Aruba at the end of January when we are making our connection to Bonaire . . .
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By Nat (BonaireTalker - Post #57) on Friday, February 18, 2005 - 11:36 am: |
I'm wondering what the current routine is. I'm flying into Aruba on AA arriving 3:09 and want to make the 5:00 BonairExel flight to Bonaire. I've paid for the BonairExel ticket and have an email confirmation but not an actual ticket. I guess that means that I have to go out through immigration and customs, then check-in at the Bonairexel countrer, and then re-enter through security. Is my understanding correct? Will I have sufficient time to make the 5:00 flight? If I get a paper ticket through a travel agent in the U.S. can I avoid all that and just stay inside the airport departure area until the flight is called? Thanks for any help.
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By Glen Reem (Extraordinary BonaireTalker - Post #1988) on Friday, February 18, 2005 - 2:15 pm: |
This news item appears on the Amigoe website today (http://www.amigoe.com/english/cur_late_news.htm#New_name:_BonairExpress ):
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By Andrew Voss (BonaireTalker - Post #12) on Saturday, February 19, 2005 - 10:30 am: |
This is how it worked for us at the Aruba airport three weeks ago:
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By Nat (BonaireTalker - Post #58) on Saturday, February 19, 2005 - 10:54 am: |
Glen, thanks for the update. Andrew, thank you for the very helpful first hand details. Hopefully, my paid-for reservation will be honored, regardless of airline name change.
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By Brigitte Kley - Coco Palm Garden (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #252) on Saturday, February 19, 2005 - 11:58 am: |
the paid for e-mail ticket is called an e-ticket and quite a number of airlines (at least in south america and Europe) work like this - including KLM and Air France
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By Nat (BonaireTalker - Post #59) on Saturday, February 19, 2005 - 2:25 pm: |
Brigitte, thanks, I've traveled often with e-tickets. I thought I understood from reading Andrew’s explanation, but now I realize I’m still unclear on Boston/Aruba/Bonaire details. This I know, arriving in Aruba I need to collect my luggage and get it rechecked for the Bonaire flight. This I don’t know, if I have the e-confirmation of a paid reservation for BonairExel/BonairExpress do I still need to go through immigration and customs, exit the terminal, report to the outside kiosk, and then return through security? Is the outside kiosk where I check the luggage? Andrew, do you mean that all passengers go through Aruba Immigration and Customs upon arrival in Aruba regardless of whether they are transfer passengers or are staying in Aruba? Or, with an e-confirmation of a paid reservation, is check-in (including luggage checking) accessible to transfer passengers without going through those steps? I would be asking these questions to an airline rep, but they don't seem to respond to e-mails, and since I may have a tight connection I’d prefer to figure this out before I arrive in Aruba. Thanks again.
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By Andrew Voss (BonaireTalker - Post #13) on Saturday, February 19, 2005 - 7:16 pm: |
Yes -- all arriving passengers must go through immigration in Aruba (before you pick up your luggage) and customs (afterwards) and physically exit the airport. The outside kiosk (to the right outside the airport exit) is where you purchase your BE ticket, and since you have already paid for yours, I expect that you will be able to skip this step. Most travelers simply have an email reservation, so they have to purchase a paper ticket at the kiosk. If you have time, I would check with the ticket agent -- simply because I was not impressed with BE's reservations technology. If you don't need a paper ticket, go directly to the BE check-in desk which is back inside the terminal (but a separate entrance from where you exited, very close to the kiosk), check your luggage and receive your boarding pass. You must exit Aruba through customs (exit stamp in the passport, etc.) and back through security to the gate area to depart for Bonaire.
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By Nat (BonaireTalker - Post #60) on Saturday, February 19, 2005 - 8:22 pm: |
Thanks for the clarification, Andrew. It certainly seems like an unnecessarily complicated process. Perhaps Aruba is trying to convince people it's easier to just stay on Aruba for their vacation. My past experience of getting to Bonaire via Air Jamaica Boston/MoBay/Bonaire seems pretty simple by comparison. One check-in, one change of planes, no exiting, luggage pick up, or customs/immigration until you get to Bonaire. Either way, Bonaire is worth it.
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By Dennis Abraham (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #9) on Saturday, February 19, 2005 - 10:16 pm: |
Andrew, Thanks so much for the INTEL on arrival at AUA and onto BON. Nothing like "air breathers" to provide the best INTEL. We arrive AUA via USAir tomorrow (Sunday) at 1600 and don't leave for BON until 2100. Knowing now that we need to leave the terminal anyway, we can probably check our luggage and then go into town for a bite to eat - and drink of course.
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By kia (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #1) on Friday, April 29, 2005 - 4:18 pm: |
Good Day,
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